The African American and African Studies Program provides courses on the history and culture of African Americans. The program provides students with a multi-disciplinary learning experience. Students in the major take selected courses in other programs and departments that complement courses offered within African American and African Studies. Majors and minors are also encouraged to take advantage of internship programs.
The Program. Students are encouraged to combine an examination of African American history and culture in the U.S.A. with African or diaspora studies. The emphasis in African American (U.S.A.) culture includes courses on the history, culture, arts, and literature of African Americans, the patterns of their socio-political and cultural movements, and the struggle with racism as a social and psychological problem. The emphasis in African Studies focuses on the social organization, culture, and religion of West African societies. The diaspora emphasis includes courses on the African heritage in the Americas, Islam in Africa and the Americas, African religion in the diaspora and cinema studies. In addition, students may choose to do special research projects.
Career Alternatives. Students completing the African American and African Studies major are well prepared for employment in the Office of Education, human service units, county social service programs, and counseling services. The major is also an appropriate background for work in community organizations like the Urban League, NAACP, Urban Affairs, and Office of Economic Opportunity, or future study in graduate school.
The major program must be developed in consultation with an African American and African Studies faculty member, and approved by the program's Major Adviser.
| UNITS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preparatory Subject Matter | 28 | |
| African American and African Studies 10 | 4 | |
| One course from African American and African Studies 12, 15, 50, 51, 52, 80 | 4 | |
| One course from Anthropology 2; Economics 1A, 1B; Geography 2; Sociology 1; Political Science 1, 2; Psychology 1 | 4 | |
| One course from Chicana/o Studies 10; Native American Studies 1, 10; American Studies 45; Asian American Studies 1, 2 | 4 | |
| Two courses from History 15, 17A, 17B | 8 | |
| One course from African American and African Studies 54, 155A; Dramatic Art 41A, 41B; Music 28, 105, 106 | 4 | |
| Depth Subject Matter | 36 | |
| One course from African American and African Studies 100, 101, 107A, 107B, 107C, 110, 145B | 4 | |
| One course from African American and African Studies 150A, 150B, 151, 152, 155A, 156, 157, 160, 170, 171 | 4 | |
| One course from African American and African Studies 111, 123, 130, 133, 141, 145 | 4 | |
| A coordinated program of upper division courses, selected and approved in consultation with the major advisers and chosen to reflect the student's major emphasis
(These areas of emphasis are offered as guidelines for students in the major. They are not the only areas students may choose for the major.) Culture of African American emphasis: African American and African Studies 107A, 107B, 153; Anthropology 140A, 140B; History 177A, 177B; Political Science 167. African emphasis: African American and African Studies 110, 162, 171; Anthropology 140A, 140B; History 115A, 116; Political Science 134, 146. | 24 | |
| Total Units for the Major | 64 | |
Major Adviser. M. Adejunmobi.
| UNITS | ||
|---|---|---|
| African American and African Studies | 24 | |
| Select one course from African American and African Studies 10, 15, or 80 | 4 | |
| Select five courses from African American and African Studies 100, 101, 107A, 110, 123, 133, 141, 145A, 145B, 151, 152, 160, 162, 163, 170 | 20 | |
American History and Institutions. This University requirement can be satisfied by completion of African American Studies 10, 100. (See also under University requirements.)
Related Upper Division Courses
The following courses are offered by faculty members in other disciplines and focus on African and African American people and their culture.
Anthropology 104, 139A, 139B, 140, 153; Art History 150; Community and Regional Development 151, 152, 153, 159A, 159B, 172; Dramatic Art 155; Education 150; English 179, 181; Geology 125A, 125B; History 102, 115A, 115B, 115C, 116, 177; Music 113B; Political Science 134, 138, 146, 151, 167, 176; Sociology 129, 130.
| Upper Division Courses |
*Course not offered this academic year.
General Education (GE) credit: ArtHum = Arts and Humanities; SciEng = Science and Engineering; SocSci = Social Sciences; Div = Social-Cultural Diversity; Wrt = Writing Experience. Select this link to information on the General Education requirement.
10. Introduction to Afro-American Culture and Society (4) I. Turner
Lecture--4 hours. Introduction to the contemporary Black American experience by critically examining historical, political and social and economic factors that have affected the development and status of Afro-American people.
12. Introduction to African Studies (4) II. Olupona, Adejunmobi
Lecture/discussion--4 hours. Introduction to African Studies which will focus on the various disciplinary perspectives through which African society and culture are generally studied. A survey of methods, resources and conceptual tools for the study of Africa. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
15. Introduction to African American Humanities (4) I. Ray, Stewart
Lecture--3 hours; discussion--1 hour. Introduction to the humanist tradition developed by writers, philosophers, and artists of African descent in the West. Attention given to African sources, as well as European, Caribbean, Latin-American, and North American variations on this tradition. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
16. Verbal and Performance Arts in Africa (4) II. Adejunmobi, Ray
Lecture/discussion--4 hours. African verbal arts; oral texts from different African cultures. Types of critical response to oral texts, role of oral artists, context and esthetics of oral performance in Africa. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
17. Women in African Societies (4) I. Adejunmobi
Lecture/discussion--4 hours. Gender relations in traditional and contemporary African society. Involvement of African women in politics, religion, the economy, the arts. African responses to feminist theory. Images of women in African literature. GE credit: Div, Wrt.
50. Black Images in Popular Culture (4) III. Turner
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--2 hours. A survey of the depictions of Blacks in popular culture (popular press, stage, radio, film, television, advertising) from the middle of the sixteenth century to the present. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
51. History of Afro-American Dance (4) III. Wynn-Bolden
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--2 hours. Evolution of African American dance, tracing its history and development from West Africa through the Carribean and to the United States. Investigates the social relevance of African American dance and the artistic merits and contributions of African American choreographers and performers.
52. African Traditional Religion (4) II. Olupona
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--2 hours. Introduction to the traditional religions of the sub-Saharan African peoples: emphasis on myths, rituals and symbols in West, East, Central and South African indigenous religions. Examines themes such as sacred kingship, divination system, women, prophecy, conversion and adaptation to Islam and Christianity. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
54. University Gospel Choir (2) I, II, III. Lymus, Stewart
Rehearsal--4 hours. Prerequisite: consent of instructor; open to any student in the university. Rehearsal, study, and performance of Gospel music. May be repeated for credit. (Same course as Music 54.) (P/NP grading only.)
80. Introduction to Black Politics (4) III. The Staff
Lecture--4 hours. Introduction to the analysis of Afro-American politics, using conceptual frameworks from political science and other social sciences. GE credit: SocSci, Div, Wrt.
99. Special Study for Undergraduates (1-5) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)
100. Survey of Ethnicity in the U.S. (4) II. Turner
Lecture--4 hours. The history, culture, philosophy, and current problems of groups considered ethnic minorities in the United States as viewed by the groups themselves. GE credit: ArtHum, Div.
101. Introduction to Research in the Afro-American Community (4) III. The Staff
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: course 10 or consent of instructor. Introductory survey of Afro-American Studies methods and techniques; problems and methodology in Afro-American Studies.
107A. African Descent Communities and Culture in the Caribbean and Latin America (4) I. Stewart, Ray
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour; term paper. Prerequisite: upper division standing. Origin and development of African descent communities and culture in the Caribbean and Latin America: (a) the evidence for pre-Columbian arrivals; (b) the African slave trade and its aftermath; (c) the emergence of the African-creole cultures. Offered in alternate years. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
107B. African Descent Communities and Culture in North America (4) I. Stewart, Ray
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour; term paper. Prerequisite: upper division standing. Origin and development of African descent communities and culture in the U.S.A., Canada, and Mexico from the African slave trade to contemporary urban society. Offered in alternate years. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
107C. African Descent Communities and Culture in Europe and Asia (4) I. Stewart, Ray
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour; term paper. Prerequisite: upper division standing. The study of early African kingdoms, their relationship with Europe and Asia, and the development of African descent communities and culture in Europe and Asia from the pre-Columbian to the post-colonial era. Offered in alternate years. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
110. West African Social Organization (4) II. Olupona, Adejunmobi
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: course 101 or consent of instructor. Ecology, population, social organization, and survival culture of West Africa in the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods. GE credit: SocSci, Div.
111. Cultural Politics in Contemporary Africa (4) II. Adejunmobi
Lecture/discussion--4 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing or course 12. Themes and style of new cultural forms in Africa as displayed in art, music, film and writing, especially in regard to blending of indigenous and foreign influences. Social and political forces shaping contemporary cultural expression. Offered in alternate years. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
123. The Black Female Experience in Contemporary Society (4) III. Ray
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing or consent of instructor. Black female social, intellectual, and psychological development. Black women's contributions in history, literature, and social science; life experiences of Black women and philosophical underpinnings of the feminist movement. GE credit: ArtHum, Div.
130. Education in the African American Community (4) I. The Staff
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour; fieldwork--3 hours. Prerequisite: course 10 or 100, and completion of the Subject A requirement. Examination of the history of the education of African Americans in the United States. Examination and critique of contemporary theories concerning the schooling of African Americans. (Former course 140.)
133. The Black Family in America (4) III. Ray
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing or consent of instructor. Analysis of social science research to examine relationship between Black family structures, patterns of functioning, and political, economic, and social conditions. Examination of role differentiation within families by race and social class. GE credit: SocSci, Div.
141. Psychology of the African American Experience (3) III. Haggins
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour. Prerequisite: course 10 or consent of instructor. Introduction to the psychological issues faced by African Americans. Analysis of issues from European/Western and Afrocentric frame of reference. Emphasis on Optimal Theory, a psychological theory based on an Afrocentric world view.
145A. Black Social and Political Thought (4) III. The Staff
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: course 10 or 80, or consent of instructor. Exploration and analysis of Black social and political thought in the Americas. GE credit: SocSci, Div.
145B. Black Intellectuals (4) III. The Staff
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: course 10, 80, 145A, or consent of instructor. Exposition and critical analysis of selected theoretical writings of Black intellectuals, and especially political and social thinkers, in the Americas. GE credit: SocSci, Div.
*150A. The Afro-American Visual Arts Tradition: A Historical and Cultural Study (4) I. The Staff
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing. Afro-American visual arts tradition, folk and formal, in historical and cultural context, from 1600 through Reconstruction. GE credit: ArtHum, Div.
*150B. The Afro-American Visual Arts Tradition: A Historical and Cultural Study (4) II. The Staff
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing. Afro-American visual arts tradition, folk and formal, in historical and cultural context, from Reconstruction to present. GE credit: ArtHum, Div.
151. Afro-American Vernacular Music and Verbal Arts (4) III. Turner
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--2 hours. Socio-political dimensions of Afro-American musical forms like spiritual, work song, minstrelsy blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel, soul and contemporary pop, and related verbal arts like preaching, toasting, rapping.
152. Major Voices in Black World Literature (4) II. Stewart
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour; term paper. Prerequisite: upper division standing, completion of course 15 or comparable course in literature or the humanities. The recurrence of cultural tropes in the works of major black world authors and formation of an African-oriented canon. Principal activities include critical reading and the discovery of literature as a cultural resource. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
154. University Gospel Choir (2) I, II, III. Lymus, Stewart
Rehearsal--4 hours. Prerequisite: consent of instructor; open to any student in the university. Rehearsal, study, and performance of Gospel music. May be repeated for credit. (Same course as Music 154.) (P/NP grading only.)
155A. African American Dance and Culture in the United States, Brazil and the Caribbean (4) II. Bolden
Lecture/discussion--4 hours. A comparative study of the African American dance forms in the U.S.A., Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad. Examination of ritual, folk, and popular dance forms and the socio/historical factors that have influenced these forms. (Same course as Dramatic Art 155A.)
156. Language and Identity in Africa and the African Diaspora (4) III. Adejunmobi
Lecture/discussion--4 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing or course 12. Relationship between language and identity in literature from Africa and the African Diaspora. Use of pidgins, Creoles, translation from African languages and impact of language policies. GE credit: Div.
157. Literature and Society in South Africa (4) III. Adejunmobi
Lecture/discussion--4 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing or course 12. Political and social developments in 20th-century South Africa as illustrated by a range of South African writing. Response of different writers to race relations, impact of government policy on types and context of writing. Offered in alternate years. GE credit: Div, Wrt.
160. African American Folklore (4) III. Turner
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour; fieldwork--3 hours. Prerequisite: course 10. Theory and history of African American folklore and folklife, including music, material culture, oral narrative, proverbs, and humor. African and Caribbean cultural influences on New World folk genres will be probed. GE credit: ArtHum, Div.
162. Islam in Africa and the Americas (4) III. Olupona
Lecture--3 hours; discussion--1 hour. Prerequisite: course in African American or Religious Studies, preferably course 12 or 110 or Religious Studies 60. A comparative and historical survey of Islam in the regional and cultural settings of Sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
163. African Religions in the Americas (4) III. Olupona
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--2 hours. Prerequisite: course 10; course 15 or consent of instructor. Comparative study of African religious heritage in the Americas: Jamaica, Trinidad, Cuba, U.S.A., Haiti, and Brazil. Emphasis on the origins and development of Candomble, Santeria, Shango, Vodun, and Rastafarianism in the New World. (Former course 153.) GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
170. African American Film and Video (4) II. Ray and staff
Lecture/discussion--2 hours; term paper; film viewing--2 hours. Prerequisite: one of courses 15, 50, or English 160, or 162. A comparative approach in the study of fictional film and video produced and directed by African Americans, drawing on the social sciences and black feminist theory to examine and discuss selected works. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
171. Black African and Black European Film and Video (4) III. Ray and staff
Lecture/discussion--2 hours; term paper; film viewing--2 hours. Prerequisite: one of courses 15, 50, or English 160 or 162. A comparative approach in the study of dramatic films and videos that treat black life in Africa and Europe. Critical attention will focus on the imaginative construction of ethnicity, race, nationality, gender, and sexuality in each particular work. GE credit: ArtHum, Div.
190. Topics in African and African-Diaspora Studies (4) III. The Staff
Lecture/discussion--3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: upper division standing in African American and African Studies or consent of instructor. Intensive treatment of a special topic or problem in African or African Diaspora Studies. May be repeated once for credit when topic differs.
192. Internship in African American and African Studies (1-8) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Internship--3-24 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing, completion of 12 units of upper division study in African American and African Studies courses and consent of instructor. Enrollment limited to African American and African Studies majors and minors. Supervised internship in community, government, or private institutions, in all subject areas offered by the African American and African Studies Program. May be repeated for credit for a total of 12 units. (P/NP grading only.)
197T. Tutoring in Afro-American Studies (1-5)
I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Tutoring--1-5 hours. Prerequisite: consent of major committee; upper division standing with major in Afro-American Studies. Leading of small voluntary discussion groups affiliated with one of the department's regular courses. May be repeated for credit for a total of 6 units. (P/NP grading only.)
198. Directed Group Study (1-5) I, II, III.
The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)
199. Special Study for Advanced Undergraduates (1-5) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)
UC Davis 1999-2000 Online General Catalog. Posted July 30, 1999.
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Molly Theodossy, Keitha Hunter and Barbara Anderson, Editors
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